Grand jury declines to indict ride-share driver who shot and killed Galveston man In a case that has caused confusion for two months, police confirmed on Tuesday (8/12/2025) that a ride-share driver did fatally shoot Patrick Wright, but not the one who was initially charged with murder. That information was released soon after a Galveston County grand jury on Tuesday decided not to indict the ride-share driver in connection with the fatal shooting of Wright, 29. The Galveston father of two was shot and killed on June 20 at the corner of Avenue R and 36th Street, soon after having dinner with his mother. The ride-share driver involved, however, is not the same person who was mistakenly arrested shortly after the shooting. The confusion surrounding Wright’s shooting has stemmed from mistaken eyewitness identifications, faulty preliminary gunshot residue tests, the arrest of a ride-share driver who wasn’t at the scene when the shooting happened, and the fact that the actual shooter didn’t come forward for several days. Galveston Police Chief Doug Balli confirmed that a ride-share driver did shoot and kill Wright, claiming it was in self-defense. However, this shooter was never arrested or charged, and his identity was not released as the district attorney wanted to first present the case to a grand jury. A grand jury reviews evidence and decides whether there is probable cause to charge someone with a crime, but it does not determine guilt or innocence. Moreover, grand jury proceedings are sealed. “When the grand jury heard all the evidence, it appears they believed it was a justified homicide that didn’t warrant charges,” Balli said. “It’s a sad situation all around.” Balli explained that the ride-share driver who shot Wright fled the scene after the incident and, via his ride-share app, canceled the pickup request. Soon after, another ride-share driver with a similar make, model, and color of vehicle arrived on scene. Eyewitnesses identified the car and said the driver shot Wright. Sanddy Diaz Pino was initially charged with murder based on faulty eyewitness accounts and an inaccurate preliminary field gunshot residue test indicating he had fired a weapon. A few days later, Pino and his lawyer met with police and provided dash cam footage showing he wasn’t at the scene at the time, Balli said. Galveston Police then tested a batch of the field gunshot residue test kits and found they produced several false positives. The test kits, which are no longer used by the Galveston Police Department, were used for initial gunshot residue checks before lab testing. Balli said officers no longer perform field tests; instead, they wait for the lab to provide results. After charges against Pino were dropped, the involved ride-share driver contacted police and, with his attorney, met with detectives. He told investigators that after the shooting, he fled and “lay low for several days to get his mind straight,” Balli said. When he saw that someone else had been charged and charges were dropped and police were looking for a shooter, that’s when he got with an attorney and came forward, Balli said. The driver, whose name is not being reported because he wasn’t charged with a crime, told police he was frightened and that Wright lunged at him through an open window of the car. This account was supported by the actual ride-share customer and claimed Wright was “harassing his driver.” Other eyewitnesses interviewed by detectives also said they heard gunshots when Wright went into the car’s window. What witnesses got wrong was that the second ride-share vehicle to arrive was the one involved in the shooting.

Posted by i45NOW TJ Aulds at 2025-08-12 21:04:21 UTC